Is Ignorance Bliss Or Just Plain Ignornace??......And The June Chocolate Boycott.... The "chocolate boycott" starts today. I am not too bothered about missing out on chocolate for a month, the most regular thing I have is my daily hot chocolate - but we'll see, it may be harder than I think! Amelie has decided to join me as she doesn't want "slaves making her food"....I am very proud of her for trying.

I knew absolutely nothing about the child slavery involved in the chocolate trade until some mutual "friends" of mine joined a facebook group that was doing a boycott. I did some research and was rather shocked with what I found.....I cannot enjoy chocolate the same way again - its next to impossible! You know I actually went down to the local shops to buy some chocolate to have on my "last" day - a mint Aero bar even (my favourite) but I actually couldn't bring myself to do it. It got me thinking on the idea of "ignorance is bliss"...so is it?? Yes, I was able to enjoy chocolate relative guilt free (if you don't count the worry about it going straight to my butt!!)....but truth is truth and whether I knew about it or not child slavery was a part of my "indulgence". So now I know....and I can't ever not know, as much as I try to ignore the truth.

So I joined the boycott, mostly to create awareness for myself, my friends and family, and to create a space so that when I start eating chocolate again, I will be far more selective. Do you know what angers me the most??? Its these damn multinational companies (Cadburys and Nestle etc) that act like there is nothing that they can do about the problem!!! They are the ones that are buying the cacao, THEY have the immense amounts of money! If the boycott came from them, THEY could be the ones that could eradicate slavery in the industry. Are they worried consumers wouldn't support them if there was a shortage of chocolate, because they were making a stand on human rights? or Are they solely concerned with their profit margins?....I am afraid it may be the latter, and that is terribly disappointing.

With this new information - I have a mind to boycott these multinational companies completely - because I refuse to support this mass produced BS!!! I will do more research, although from what I have read so far, organic chocolate may be the way to go - as organic farms have specific monitoring systems which include labour.

I encourage everyone to wake up from blissful ignorance - we as consumers have immeasurable power if we band together - a new revolution is here!! :) My last chocolate hit - a hot chocolate and the last of the Easter eggs (score!)
PS. See the link at the side of my page "Child slavery and the chocolate trade" for further information.
[null, null, {"document_url": "https://suigeneris-speaks.blogspot.com/2010/06/is-ignorance-bliss-or-just-plain.html", "unformatted_src": "//3.bp.blogspot.com/_A3-b0r9KEr4/TARMZs3ChzI/AAAAAAAAAN0/FES8zyK2RvU/s400/002.jpg", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A3-b0r9KEr4/TARMZs3ChzI/AAAAAAAAAN0/FES8zyK2RvU/s400/002.jpg", "rendered_width": 333, "rendered_height": 400}, null, null, {"document_url": "https://suigeneris-speaks.blogspot.com/2010/06/is-ignorance-bliss-or-just-plain.html", "unformatted_src": "//3.bp.blogspot.com/-3aLUzwp2_KA/WaJl56xvv8I/AAAAAAAABhk/ef-w4mPrZZA-xy4MoSC6LvDrEu7olyeeACK4BGAYYCw/s372/Natasha%2Bpic.jpg", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3aLUzwp2_KA/WaJl56xvv8I/AAAAAAAABhk/ef-w4mPrZZA-xy4MoSC6LvDrEu7olyeeACK4BGAYYCw/s372/Natasha%2Bpic.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Natasha Bpic", "alt_text": "Me.....Hiiiii!", "rendered_width": 371, "rendered_height": 372}, null, null, null, null, null, null, null]